Brick-press



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. WHITMAN. BRICK PRESS.

No. 7,313. Patented Apr, 23, 1850.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. WHITMAN.

.BRIGK PRESS.

No. 7,313. Patented Apr, 23, 1850.

' 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. s. WHITMAN. BRICK PRESS.

No."7,313.- Patented Apr. 23, 1850 4 Sheets- Sheet 4.

WHITMAN.

BRICK PRESS No. 7,313. Patented ryzs, 1850.

oNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

SHEPHERD WHITMAN, OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA.

BRICK-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent N 0. 7,313, dated April 23, 1850.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SHEPHERD WHITMAN, of New Albany, county of Floyd,State of Indiana, have invented, made, and constructed in the small waya new and useful Improvement in Making Pressed Brick, which I callWhitmans Brick-Press, and that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part ofthis specification in which-.-

Figure 1 is a top view plan of the press. Fig. 2 is a perpendicular andlongitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of portions ofthe machine. Fig. 4 is "a perspective View of the clearer S, S, and oneof the outside pitmen C about to raise the clearer S S by its upper camT out of the way of the returning plunger P. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of the same representing the pitman C about to let down the clearerby the lower cam T.

The clay in its rough state, about as damp as it is in ordinary weather,when first taken from the bank, is thrown into the hopper U in anyquantity the hopper will hold ,When it is broken up by the teeth of thebreaker H H. The clay should not be so damp as to adhere together whenbroken up nor much drier than that. These breakers are put in motion bythe cross bands F F in the direction of the arrows. It will be seen thatthe breakers H H bot-h turn the same way, this must be the case or theywill clog. The back breaker H does most of the breaking, by its teethpassing through some comb like teeth standing in the back part of thehopper U. The forward breaker H keeps the clay constantly moving overthe opening Y in the bottom plate of the hopper U through which the clayin a finely broken state is swept by the motion of the teeth of theforward breaker H into the recess Z of the feeder M M that is slid underthe opening Y. The feeder is put in this position by being attached toand moving with the plunger 0.

When the center crank E E is moved to that point which causes thegreatest possible opening in the mold, the plunger 0 and feeder M M aremoved in that direction as far as the crank E E can carry them and therecess of the feeder Z is brought immediately over the opening V in theforward end of the square cylinder (or mold in which the plunger 0plays), where the clay is urged downward by a roller and spiral spring Ninto the forward end of the square cylinder. When the clay is thus beingdeposited, the back plunger P will be 'moving to meet the clay at itsback side by the motion given to it by the head beam I so that theforward end of the plunger P will be about the thickness of a brick backfrom the back edge of the opening V in the top plate of the squarecylinder a little forward of where the clay is to be pressed. When thecranks B B which give motion to the outside pitmen G C are moved to thatpoint which throws the forward end of the pitman to their greatest.horizontal distance from the body of the machine the plunger P is in theposition last named and the center crank E E will be about 70 in advanceof the outside cranks B B and as you turn the cranks in the direction ofthe arrows the forward plunger 0 advances gaining upon the back plungerP until their motion becomes equal. At this moment the ends of theplungers O and P are just the thickness of a brick asunder and stronglypress the clay into a brick. Then the head ,beam I leaves the brick endof the plunger P and the feeder M M always having the same motion as theplunger 0 takes charge of the plunger P by pressing against a stud onthe back end of the plunger P and thus keeps the pressing ends of theplungers O and P exactly the same distance asunder. As they move ontogether still holding the brick between their two opposing ends uitilthe brick leaves the back end of the square cylinder and stands in arecess WV untouched byanything but the plungers P and 0. At this instantthe center crank E E is on that point which brings the plunger 0 to itsextreme backward range in the square cylinder and a straight flat barlies in the recess immediately over the upper edge of the brick it beingjust as wide as the brick is thick, this bar and its appendages I callthe clearer S S and is slid down by the force of the two spiral springsor other force to the lower edge of the plungers P and O at the sametime shoving down the brick and cleaning the ends of the two plungers Pand O. The brick then falls down on to a band or belt L that is put inslow motion in the direction of the arrows by the pulley G and is borneaway to any convenient place.

hen the pitman C C returns the clearer S S is thrown up and out of theway of the returning plunger P b two cams T T on the outside pitmans CWhen the pitmen C C are in nearly their lowest position they returninthe direction of the arrow and carry the cams T T under the two ends ofthe clearer S S and they (the cams T T) being placed in an angularposition to the then motion of the pitmen G C wedge up and raise theclearer S S out of the way of the return plunger P so that it can passunder the clearer without touching it at that point. Then those cams T Thold up the clearer S S no longer and its under side rests on the'top ofthe'back plunger P during its whole motion backward and forward untilanother brick is made in the same way. And it is thus that the undersurface of the clearer S S is kept clean and polished by the action ofthe plunger P.

When a brick is about to pass under the clearer S S the lower cams (T T)are returned back by the motion of the pitmen C C and pass under theends of the clearer S S and raise it a little so that it will not rubagainst the upper edge of the brick as it passesunder S S until thebrick is pushed on as far as the machine can carry it in that direction,then the lower cams T T are slid from under the ends of the clearer S Sand the clearer shoves down the brick as before stated so that the uppercams T T and the lower cams (T T) have their distinct use. I

The rod projecting from under the hopper with an appendage to turn itby, if turned right handed slackens the feed, if the contrary wayincreases the feed. This rod is an appendage of the feeder M M. Thefeeder M M has nearly a square opening through it, from top to bottom,flaring toward the bottom to insure the falling out of the clay into theforward end of the square cylinder. The covers of the openings throughthe feeder M M are rounded to prevent the clay from adhering to them.The front and back ends of the nearly square opening are convex inwardso as to give a larger portion of clay to the ends of the brick than themiddle to help to make them full and sound at the corners.

The top plate of the square cylinder at its forward end or edge isconcave inward to secure soundness to the corners of the brick also. Thedouble keys J J and K K are to adjust the length of the pitmen C C and Dwhich is very essential to keep the plungers in their proper positionwhen the clearer S S is slid down between their ends particularly thekeys K K of D.

It will always be best to commence working the machine with a light feedat first then increasing it until the bricks are sufliciently solid andsound at the corners. If the clay is considerably damp the feed shouldbe increased. If somewhat dry should be slackened.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isThe clearer S S as used in connection with the two plungers O and P forthe purpose of delivering the brick and preventing the plungers O and Pfrom becoming foul at their pressing ends and the clearer itself beingkept clean and polished by the action of the plunger P upon its lowersurface.

In testimony that the foregoing is a true and clear specification of mysaid improvement as herein described I have hereunto set my hand andseal this the 30th day of March in the year of our Lord, one thousandeight hundred and fifty.

SHEPHERD WHITMAN. [1,. s.]

In the presence of i A. T. COCHRAN, JOHN GAULT.

